European Council President António Costa discussed the EU's dedication to Middle East peace with King Abdullah II of Jordan, highlighting collaboration with regional partners and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz as a priority, while monitoring Lebanon, Gaza, and the West Bank.

Xingyu Aviation, an eVTOL developer, has raised over 50 million yuan in two funding rounds to support the development and testing of its F2500 series aircraft.

Hong Kong's Financial Secretary Paul Chan announced the unveiling of a new list of key enterprises, attracting over 100 businesses valued above 100 billion HKD in sectors like life sciences, AI, and fintech, highlighting Hong Kong's appeal for international investment.

Ayatollah Khamenei's Armed Forces Day message emphasized military readiness, wishing well to personnel and families, and threatening a "new painful defeat" for enemies, coinciding with Iran's annual celebration.

Beijing's second robot half-marathon features over 300 humanoid robots from 70 teams competing on a 21-km course. Advances in autonomous movement are highlighted, with 40% operating without control. China dominates the humanoid robot market, despite production challenges.

Elon Musk clarified that SpaceX and Tesla are important customers of TSMC, not competitors, citing the need for TSMC to expand capacity with the "Terafab" project amid rising semiconductor demand. TSMC recognizes both Intel and Tesla as both customers and competitors.

Nearly 120,000 authors have claimed a share of Anthropic's $1.5 billion settlement over unauthorized book use in AI training. The settlement, resulting from copyright violations, raises concerns about fair competition in the AI industry.

Iran's IRGC Navy has established new regulations for vessel passage through the Strait of Hormuz, allowing only civilian vessels in designated lanes and requiring authorization. These changes support recent ceasefire agreements involving the U.S., Israel, and Iran.

On April 17, investors sold significant Brent crude futures amid news of open passage in the Strait of Hormuz, causing prices to drop sharply. Lawmakers are investigating potential insider trading linked to these trades before key policy announcements.

PepsiCo warns that rising geopolitical tensions may lead to increased product costs, prompting potential price hikes. The company reported strong Q1 2026 earnings and plans to utilize supply chain and productivity improvements to manage inflation, while other consumer brands also signal possible price increases.